Is it possible to repair a torn painting on canvas?

Question

My x girlfriend took a huge framed painting of my family on canvas I have, and she tore the canvas into 4 big pieces- Can a torn canvas be repaired? How much does something like that usually cost? If it can't be fixed i might have to throw it away..

the painting was probrolly 4 ft high..it was pretty big- whats the ballpark cost for a professional to piece this back together? hundreds of dollars? thousands? i hate to say it, but if its going to be a fortune, I may just throw the painting out, and see if the artist can paint a new copy of the original...

Answer 1

Well, I would go to a hardware store and get some DAP brand contact cement (the kind that looks like snot, it says on the can that it works on everything, including fabric), then some rubber cloth. You can find this at places such as MAC's hardware, or on Amazon. It's a black-on-one side white on the other fabric. Places that sell pianos have this stuff usually. Anyhow...fit the torn pieces of your painting together as they would look as one piece, then stick them together with tape along the seam (just temporary tape, like masking tape) to hold it in place. This will be on the painted part of the canvas. Flip it over onto its backside. Mask around the seams where the painting was torn, and paint a layer of contact cement on the seam. Cut your rubber cloth in strips the length of the torn canvas parts. Paint a layer of contact cement on the white side of the cloth. Wait about five minutes and then paint ANOTHER layer of cement on both surfaces again (1st layer for absorption, second layer for tack) and let set for about 15 minutes, or until it gets nice and tacky. It should stick to your fingers when you touch it, rather than it making 'spider web' like tendrils of glue. Press the two surfaces together, and smooth them out. Depending on the nature of the canvas, you might need to have it under a weight to keep it flat. Do this for all the seams and pieces. When the cement sets and is dry, you can take the tape from the front and discard. You will see that there'll be 'lines' where you could tell that there were tears. My idea is to find a friend or a person/local artist with a vast set of paints that can colour match and therefore make it seamless, after which you'd probably have to get the portrait taken in for finishing, get a coat of lacquer to seal it.

I could do this for you, actually....

Answer 2

yes, if you are very careful- you'll need a piece of canvas or linen, an acid-free adhesive, and a book the same thickness as the stretchers (no thicker!). Apply adhesive to your piece of fabric (must be a fair bit larger than the tear so it spreads the stress). Not too much adhesive- you don't want it squirting out everywhere! Press gently to adhere the fabric to the back of the painting. Carefully turn the painting over. Support from the back side of the painting is essential so use the book with some plastic covering it. The book must be the same thickness as the stretcher bars so it will light the canvas of the painting to the proper height without stretching. Press against the fabric patch you just glued to the back of the painting. From the front, gently bring the edges of the cut together and work any frayed edges into the wet adhesive. This can be done with a needle or toothpick. Use a clean cloth to remove excess glue on the surface of the painting. After it is dry you may need to do a tiny bit of touch up painting. Don't use super glue! Of course a professional can do the best job- Place weight over the repair and allow it to dry completely.

Answer 3

No problem.

You can leave it to a professional or (the cheap and messy way) do it yourself.

Best way is to 're-canvas' the painting. You glue the canvas to a new canvas that you stretched over the old frame. After that you puzzle the pieces in the right spot and use an artist glue (to prevent shrinking) to glue the parts in place. When the glue has set you stretch the painting to full tension and touch up the missing parts...but that should be done by someone with an eye for it.

If it was only a tear you could past a piece of canvas on the backside.

Answer 4

If you had a professional repair it, it could cost plenty - it could be pieced together and adhered onto another canvas and repaired where the tears fit together, or it could be repaired using a process where the image is coated with many layers of rabbit-skin glue then peeled from the original canvas and adhered to a new one.

It may be worth the investment. Look up "art restoration" close to you and get some quotes - that won't cost a thing. While you're at it, look up "anger management" for the x.... I am horrified that anyone would do such a thing...

good luck with it.

Edit: please oh please, do NOT use contact cement... the solvents in it will destroy the canvas and paint as well. If you want to do it yourself, go to an art supplies store and purchase an archival adhesive!

Answer 5

I knew a guy who did this for a living. Apparently couple quarrels are responsible for an amazing amount of damage to art. For small tears or holes, he would patch the canvas with more canvas. I think if you were ever going to stretch this again, you would need to cover back with another piece of canvas the same size. Museums will hire experts in restoration to repair some pretty big damage, but four separate pieces is asking allot. If you have homeowners insurance, I think this could be considered vandalism and the company might pay to have someone restore it for you. If the painting is valuable, I would not try to do it yourself.

Answer 6

Just what "Puppy Zwolle" said. Four pieces, huh? Now THAT'S a challenge. If the fibers of the canvas are frayed and "fringey" trim those close with real sharp scissors before you glue it to the large backing piece of canvas. You can gesso in the "ditch" that is made between the pieces then try to feather over the edges with matching paint. It's going to be REAL tedious and the results are NOT going to be spectacular. If you hire a pro restorer it's going to be ASTRONOMICALLY expensive. Word to the wise - old saying: "Art is a JEALOUS mistress". It's best to find a very docile lover who is obsessed with her own interests - or go celibate... I'm not kidding.

Answer 7

I don't think it can be repaired. What you can do if you have a digital camera is to tape the pieces together from the back then take a picture of it. That way you will at least still have a picture of it.

Answer 8

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